Week # 69 ~Lone Survivior

Merry Almost Christmas,

I love this quote from the files of President Weston,

"Time of general calamity and confusion have ever been productive of the greatest minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace, and the brightest thunderbolt is elicited from the darkest storm."
(Charles Caleb Colton) 

I am the lone survivior, all three of my other companions have moved on.  This was a fast one for us.  Pres. Usually keeps us for a lot longer in one area!? 

I have a new companion as of yesterday, his name is Elder Wilson.  I call him Wilson after the volleyball.  He is very chill and I have not gotten much out of him yet. I do know that he went to a year of Utah State University and wants to do a major in animals something.

 I will have my work cut out for me getting him to open up or even talk.  We did go and see the gingerbread displays it was great.  It really got me in the mood for Christmas. I will send some pictures of them.

I got your 2 packages, the giant one and the little one.  Yes I have been opening the packages and presents.  I am trying to catch up with all the gifts to open.  I have opened 1-10 already.  They are awesome.  Thank you for all of the love in the packages that you send to me.

We have zone conference on the 17^th.  It will be a fun one with Christmas coming.  I cannot wait, I will take pictures and send them to you.  I will also set up Skyping and let you know of all the details. 

Until next week,

Lone survioir, Elder Vance

 Elder Wilson & I at church on sunday.

 Ginger Bread House Display

Week # 68 ~Red Neck Christmas

Hello My Family,
 
A quote from President Weston’s quote book

 "You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving" (About St. Francis de Sales).

So this week has been way better in the area. I am feeling great. We are walking door to door and we have the car every other day and we are trying to teach people.  We are trying to talk to a lot of people to see if they are interested in us teaching them or not. It has not been very successful as of YET! We do have dinner appointments are almost every day, wich is very nice and appreciated.

The weather here is very warm or very cold. Nebraska is very bipolar.

Temperatures below 0 one day and up to 60 degrees the very next day.  Coat to short sleeves and back again.  Exercising is going good I am running/doing push ups and situps every day.  We even ran 3 miles the other day.  When it was warm. 

I have transfers coming up, but I am sure that I am staying in the area. Also Lakeview is closing again!  Elder Hammond is going to another area for about a week and then coming back to re-open it again. They are not living with us anymore.  They are going to live with a members home and we are going to be alone in the apartment again. I am sad about that. It is a lot of fun having four people to talk to.  They are great missionaries and I really enjoy them. I have not gotten the package yet, I do not know where it is.

Love Elder Vance

This is a yard that is a Nebraska redneck Christmas. Too FUNNY!

Week # 67 ~ Temple Trip

Hello Family,

A quote from the files of President Weston,

 "Never give up while there is hope; but hope not beyond reason, for that shows more desire than judgment." (William Penn)

 So this week was a full week of not getting into any ones homes. We even had some of the people tell us to never come back.  Besides that we went to a activity called pie night at our church.  It is a night that you eat lots of pie and desserts for a few hours.  It was really good and they had a lot of really good pies there. 

The next day we had Thanksgiving dinner with some members. I was super stuffed and after that we were talking with some of the other people that were invited to the dinner and we found out that star wars episode 7 trailer has come out.   We cant see it! Every one says it is really good so I will have to watch it when I get home. 

Best I saved for last,  on Friday we went to the Omaha Nebraska Temple!! I got to go threw, and in the celestial room I said probably the most powerful prayer that I have every said. I could just feel the spirit around me and it going through me as I prayed. It was an awesome experience.  I am grateful for the opportunity to go to the temple. 

To answer Tyson’s questions about my schedule:

My agenda is wake up at 6:30 work out till 7 shower shave eat till 8 study, read book of Mormon, comp study, conference talk till 10:30.  Go out and see people till 12 eat lunch till 1 then go out and work some more until 9 p.m.   Then we get ready for bed and plan for the next day and go to sleep at 10:30

I Love You All,

Elder Vance

Week # 66 ~ Almost Thanksgiving!

Hello Family,

This weeks quote form President Weston,

 "The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen."
(Frank Lloyd Wright)

The weather is an average 17 degrees.  At least it is above 0.   It got as warm as 60 degrees yesterday and now it is really cold again.  I am healthy and doing great.  Warn coat and boots and gloves and scarf for my face!

So this week was kind of a hand full or two hand full.  We have successfully gotten cussed out this week.  We had been given a lead to a person to visit whose name was Mike.  We went up to his house and right before we were going to walk up the driveway, he pulled into his garage.   We asked if he was Mike. No answer, so we thought he didn't hear us so we asked a little louder if he was Mike.  He saw us and through his backpack down and walked up to us quickly and sternly, asked us who sent us here.  We said that we have your name on our list.  He said " take my name of that f*** list, I don't want your f*** people to come here again!" I thought that he was going to punch my comp. I could feel the anger in my chest coming from this guy.  We said ok have a nice day and he said f*** you!  So we drove away quickly.  Other than that it was a pretty good week.  We have not had much success, but we have been tracking down people in this new area and making contact with them.  That is what we are supposed to do to open a new area. I love the package and letters that I have gotten they are awesome!  Thank you to all who sent them and let everyone know I am doing great and I really look forward to the mail everyday, it truly lifts my spirits.  This new area that we are opening is very difficult, but I am doing great!

This week being Thanksgiving, I am most grateful for my family. Plan and simple being away from family makes you so thankful for the family time and knowing that your family is always there for you.  It help when things get tough to remember my family truly loves me and is there if I need them. 

We are having dinner with some members  on Thanksgiving Day. 

My comp is great but a little strict on the rules. Other than that he us super.

Love you, 

Elder Vance

WEEK # 65 ~ ELDER NIELSON….

What a week,

We had a mission tour and Elder Nielson of the Seventy came to our mission.  It was amazing!

These are a few of my take-home messages:

Act or be acted upon,

be quick to observe,

don't criticize,

embrace others who are different,

open your heart,

try to understand,

move your feet,

be inviters (WILL YOU?),

who do you know,

connect them to heaven,

teach and talk with no agenda,

what do you have treasured up,

the ground always comes,

lose your life and you will find it,

have no fear,

the redeeming and enabling power of Christ,

obey with exactness,

take no thought-don't worry,

success is how much you give your will to His,

your silence means it's ok, baptized unto your own condemnation,

go to your office and become,

become a disciple of Christ...and there are many more!

For our P- day we got to go to the Omaha Zoo.  It was such a fun trip and quite a treat for us as missionaries.  Here are some pictures of the zoo!!  I loved the desert globe and it is giant!! Everything here is giant, it is was bigger and more exciting than the Hogle Zoo.  It has tons of buildings and even a 5 storys underground area to view animals that live under the ground.  AMAZING!!

The weather here is turning cold, not a lot of snow, but the wind chill is very cold!!

I love you all very much.

Love Elder Vance

Finally someone will listen to my message.  

 Jelly fish house, I could have watched them for hours.

Week #64 ~aaaaaaaaa

Hello Family,

 A great quote from the files of President Weston,

 "Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret to success."

(Swami Sivananda Saraswati)

This week was hectic because it was full of no's again.  Every day, every house every person… NO, NO, NO. 

On a fun and interesting note, I go to go see a movie, YES a movie.  First in a year +.  We went and saw Meet The Mormons movie.   It is a very good movie and I recommend it to everyone.  They did a really good job at it.  And….today we are going to the Omaha zoo!! I am very excited. I heard that the gorilla in the zoo like to pound on the glass if he sees a guy in a white shirt.  We will test this out today. It is going to be awesome!!

Here is the answers to all your questions mom.

I am doing great so far.

My companion is great and we are working hard together.

We are getting along great!  The nerf guns are well appreciated, it helps relieve stress and they are very fun to shoot each other with.

We are trying to teach more people.

Our ward is super and they help us out a lot!

Our Sundays are backwards.  Sacrament is last and we go to gospel principles and to Elders Quorum first.

I am reading about the Plan of Salvation.

I don't need anything right, now but I will let you know!

I take great care of my self.

and I love you tons and tons!!!.  I hope your day is wonderful, I love you!!

Love you all,

Elder Vance

Week # 63 ~Nothing to Spooky!

A quote from the files of President Weston

 "There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do." (Freya Stark)

I am healthy, I am happy, I am safe  & my companion is great!

Just getting those questions out of the way for you Mom!

So our crazy friend Oscar is in a mental hospital now, where he should be. 

For Halloween it was like another day.  No ward parties, no fun companions. I tried to get into the spirit but no one else wanted to so I ended up carving an apple instead of a pumpkin. What a bunch of losers every one was being. There are a lot of crazy awesome pumpkins here in Nebraska, people spend a lot of time and creativity here on Halloween pumpkins, it has been fun going to different neighborhoods to see what they have designed. I have attached a few pictures.

We knocked doors all week.  Trying to visit everyone with in these new area boundaries.  We found a couple of funny signs and an up side down tree in some ones yard.  Otherwise we had very little luck getting new people to teach.  It gets depressing sometimes, but I know I just need to stay positive and do my best. 

I am reading in 1 Nephi 16.  I love reading the B of Mormon.  I also love to share stories with the families from the B of Mormon. 

I have sent some pictures for you this week.  I appreciate you getting me ready for school.  I am so excited to be roommates with Preston.  You will need to let me know more about the place that we are staying and fill me in on my classes that you sign me up for.  I think it is awesome! 

I have got to go, I love you tons!

Love,

Elder Vance

Crazy awesome pumpkins everywhere here in Nebraska!

I know this is that frozen movie character, I hear people talking about it and singing frozen songs all the time!  Can't wait to see it!

Week #62 ~ NO! NO! ETC. ETC.ETC.

Hi Family,

A quote from the files of President Weston,

 "Believe that you can do it, under any circumstance. Because if you believe you can, then you really will. That belief just keeps you searching for the answers, then pretty soon you get it." (Wally "Famous" Amos)

So this week has been kind of a downer we are trying to see people but it is going really slow.  It is getting a little hard to stay positive.  Lots of knocking not a lot of letting us in!  All I know is THE CHURCH IS TRUE!  People should listen! They would be so much happier!

We are riding our bikes a lot and my companion and I are getting along great!!  He is awesome and kind and fun to be around.

I have gotten your package and letters and it was super awesome and the deneurolizer is super cool.  I got a package from the Koffords and it was such a nice surprise and appreciated as well.  Thank you all who send me letters I think that is the real lift for me at the end of a hard day. 

Today we are going to go to a zone activity for two hours. We are playing volleyball and seeing everyone from our zone, it should be a fun welcome change for the day.

That is my week,

Love Elder Vance